living with minerals 4 - shaping uk minerals policy - part 7

Globalism to localism

Living with minerals 4Shaping UK minerals policy

7 November 2011

Living with minerals 4: Shaping UK minerals policyGlobalism to localism

Reports to conference by UK Minerals Forum (UKMF) Working GroupsChair: Dr Keith Duff, Chairman UKMF


What is the UK Minerals Forum?

• Independent, conceived, hosted and funded by CBI Minerals Group

• First mooted at LWM 1 in 2004, Launched at LWM 2 in 2006

• Forum to bring together stakeholder groups

• Debates and raises awareness of issues, identifies potential solutions


What are our Terms of Reference?

• Coordinated interface between stakeholder groups

• Address issues of supply and demand for indigenous minerals

• Inform understanding of distribution and extraction constraints

• Debate optimum approaches to management and mitigation of extraction

• Debate effects of domestic and international legislation and policy

• Disseminate approaches to conflict resolution, and capture differences

• Identify and draw attention to key data sets and information sources


What does the Forum do?

• Investigates key areas in detail

• Informs Living with Minerals events

• Identifies issues and possible solutions

• Clarifies stakeholder differences


Working Groups reporting today

• Distributing minerals to future markets

• Future skills in minerals planning

• Communities and communications



7 November 2011


UKMF Working Group 1 – Distributing Minerals to Future MarketsChair: Paul Wilcox Planning Officers Society


The Brief (1)

Working Group made up of planners, industry and specialistsPeter Huxtable British Aggregates AssociationJo Mankelow British Geological SurveyDavid Brewer CoalProRuth Chambers Campaign for National ParksMick Daynes HansonLester Hicks Independent ConsultantBob Fenton Mineral Industry Research OrganisationJerry McLaughlin Mineral Products AssociationChris Waite South East England/London – Aggregates Working Parties


The Brief (2)

• Two nationally important minerals requiring transport – aggregates and coal, in total over 200 million tonnes in 2009

• What is required to maintain distribution to future markets in the UK up to 2042?

Living with minerals 4: Shaping UK minerals policyGlobalism to localismLiving with minerals 4: Shaping UK minerals policyGlobalism to localism

Key Findings (1)

• Most aggregates consumed are sourced domestically

• Two thirds of coal burnt is currently imported

• Substantial resources of coal remain in the ground in the UK

• Sand and gravel widely distributed

• Hard rock sources unevenly distributed


Key Findings (2)

• The impending closure of four high capacity quarries

• Need more detailed geological data to find best future working areas

• Key Limiting issue for resources – future ability/willingness to exploit not access

• Most aggregates travel by road and no more than 38km

• Rail accounts for 11% – limited scope to expand

• Water 1% – no scope for increase


Key Findings (3)

• Rail important strategically to supply hard rock to North West, East, South East and London

• No major problems with present infrastructure except for localised problems

• New mineral production sites may need £1-25 million investment to connect to the rail network

• New connections affected by bureaucracy but costs could come down – McNulty Review

• Aggregate market – wide and far; Coal market – electricity – few locations


Key Issues

• Extent of new resources required and can they be delivered

• Can coal production and imports be handled through ports/rail network (Q2)

• Extent to which hard rock from replacement quarries can continue to be moved by rail to (Q1):North West EastSouth East London

• Adapting to the effects of Climate Change (Q4)


Possible Solutions (1)

• (A) A new framework for mineral policy – Is this the NPPF?

• (B) A clear planning policy:• Integrated outcomes• The balance to be struck between road/rail and working in areas with designations and/or outside

• Proximity principle• Reduce road haulage



• (B) A clear planning policy (continued):• Protect mineral transportation infrastructure and freight paths (Q3)

• Keep and improve mechanisms for inter-regional supply of aggregates

• Maintain policy and regulatory support for coal

• EU Raw Materials Directive



• (C) Secure long term freight paths for aggregates and coal.

• New connections to the network to bring forward new sites needs:

• Less and more simplified rules for new connections

• Resume/increase funding to encourage inter modal shift

• (D) Industry to deliver more efficient road distribution practices


Conclusions (1)

• Policy support to maintain the largely local supply pattern

• Maintain existing rail connected hard rock quarries/ infrastructure

• Identify future replacement sources of hard rock that can be connected to the rail network

• Develop more efficient transport and distribution models for minerals


Conclusions (2)

• Present coal infrastructure can handle supplies up to 2025

• Safeguard domestic coal resources nationally

• Coal burn and transport affected by energy prices and key energy policies e.g. on carbon

• EU Raw Materials Directive


Overall Project Conclusions and Recommendations• Based on present patterns of supply UK’s minerals

transport infrastructure is broadly sufficient• If imports of coal are replaced by increased domestic

consumption any new deep mines would need rail access

• Limited scope to increase the present volume of aggregates transported by rail

• But new replacement quarries will need policy support, less rail bureaucracy, resumed/increased rail freight funding and integrated outcomes delivered through a new planning policy framework

• Our findings and approach may also be relevant to other nationally important minerals



7 November 2011


Refreshments



7 November 2011


UKMF Working Group 2 – Planning SkillsChair: David BrewerConfederation of UK Coal Producers


Working Group Remit

• Identify scale of skills shortages

• Determine what courses are available

• Provide a report

• Propose solutions


Group Membership

• Industry

• Consultancies

• Mineral Planning Authorities

• Department of Communities and Local Government

• Mineral Products Association

• British Geological Survey


Research and Analysis

• Both quantitative and empirical

• Minerals planning is unique

• Some 200 professional staff in MPAs, not all full-time

• About 100 in industry and consultancies

• Net movement of 3:1 from public sector


Research and Analysis

• Severe budgetary constraints reducing numbers

• Some MPAs well resourced

• Shared services, inter-disciplinary approach, use of consultants

• Loss of senior cadre

• Project management expertise needed


Consequences

• Can only get worse

• Delays in preparing minerals plans and dealing with planning applications

• Communities facing longer periods of blight

• Risk of adequate supply of minerals not being available


Mineral Planning Courses

• Not taught by Planning Schools

• University of West of England three-day beginners course

• Anglia Ruskin University one/two day ‘on demand’ course

• Option in Northumbria Minerals Surveying MSc course


Possible solutions

• Develop targeted short course

• University of West of England three-day beginners course

• Anglia Ruskin University one/two day ‘on demand’ course

• Option in Northumbria Minerals Surveying MSc course


The Short Course

• Existing courses may be at risk

• Development of an in/mid career course is Group’s core proposal

• Designed to build on existing interest or knowledge to provide significant additional resource


The Short Course

• Two-week modular desirable but expensive

• Group focused on intensive 5-day course

• Development and early running costs require subsidy

• Preliminary discussions held with likely providers


Other Solutions

• More new entrants – requires formal approach to Planning Schools

• Industry road shows

• National Competency Framework

• More structured career development and staff exchanges

• A package approach?


Delivering the programme

• Funding only available from industry?

• Significant management resource input also required

• Industry has to be prime mover but requires ‘buy in’ from DCLG and MPAs

• A partnership approach?


Is there an alternative?

• MPAs have statutory responsibilities

• Industry could ‘stand on ceremony’ and insist these fulfilled and paid for

• But further deterioration inevitable

• Time to put up or shut up



7 November 2011


UKMF Working Group 3 – Communities and CommunicationsChair: Dr Brian Markerformer Chairman of UKMF and Independent Advisor


The Working Group was convened to:• Review materials for communicating with the public

• Identify the need for and nature of future work

• Prepare specifications if necessary

• Present the results at Living with Minerals 4

• Work focused on England - some outputs will need adaptation for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland


Membership of the Working Group

Thanks are due to:• Emma Bee and Chloe Wrighton – British Geological Survey

• Andy Tickle – Campaign to Protect Rural England

• Simon van der Byland Elizabeth Clements – Mineral Products Association

• Richard Read – Planning Officers’ Society

• Hugh Lucas – Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and many others who commented on draft material


The Working Group prepared:

• A trial educational ‘pack’

• A summary of communication techniques

• Material on uses and extraction of minerals and regulation of operations


Education

• BGS prepared a trial information pack and tested it on a group of teachers

• They advised that materials should be:

• Fully integrated with the National Curriculum

• Indexed to Curriculum attainment and skills levels

• Aimed at key stages 3-4

• Easily downloadable from a website


Education

Proposed future work:• Prepare a student and teachers pack with 50 minute lesson modules

• Disseminate through conferences, media and mail

• Prepare video presentations• The total cost could be £20-£33k• But the first step, tested at a few schools, would cost about £2-£3k

• A source of funds has not yet been identified


Techniques of communication

Potential activities are those undertaken:

• During preparation of minerals policies

• In response to mineral working proposals

• In proactive campaigns and initiatives


Information for the public

The draft material has 5 sections:

• Introduction

• Minerals and their uses

• How minerals operations are undertaken

• How the planning and environmental permitting systems work

• How communities can interact with the industry and regulators


Information for the Public

A draft ‘tool kit’ provides:• Concise objective unbiased information in plain language

• Short sections for use in presentations and printed material

For use by:• Planning officers when dealing with the public and elected members

• Minerals operators when information and liaising with the public

• Local action and liaison groups


Information for the Public

Options for delivery are:

• A new website (Cost £3-8k)

• One or more existing website (Cost £1-2k)

• DVD/CDs (Cost £2-3k per 1,000 disks) and significant updating problems

• A source of funds has yet to be identified


Conclusions and recommendations

Educational material

• Seek funds for initial preparation

• Test this in a few schools

• Seek funds for additional steps

Communication techniques

• Publish the paper on relevant websites and disseminate


Conclusions and recommendations (2)

Public information:

• make the public information material available for wider comment, to ensure that it is properly targeted, expressed clearly and balanced, before placing it on one or more relevant websites and updating as necessary;

and

• hold discussions with interested organizations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on suitable adaptation of materials



7 November 2011


Closing SummaryPaul Wilkinson, Head of Living LandscapeThe Wildlife Trusts



7 November 2011

living with minerals 4 - shaping uk minerals policy - part 7

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